Trump puts GOP in the hot seat on guns -- for now

The state hasn't passed any new gun legislation since Gov. Andrew Cuomo pushed through several restrictions on firearms five years ago via the SAFE Act in the wake of the Newtown, Connecticut, school shooting. Some students visited with lawmakers Monday.

The bipartisan group of lawmakers meeting about gun policy drew the president out on a few of his apparent commitments.

"As soon as he becomes president, he adopts Michael Bloomberg's agenda", said Hammond, referencing the former mayor of New York City, who is a prominent supporter of pro-gun control groups.

"They have great power over you people; they have less. over me". "There's nothing to be afraid of".

"You know why", Trump scoffed.

Kroger Co said on Thursday it will stop selling firearms and ammunition to buyers under the age of 21 at its Fred Meyer stores, becoming the third major US retailer to set restrictions that are tougher than government regulations.

The bill, named for Toomey and Democratic Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia, failed to get the 60-vote minimum in the Senate in 2013 and again in 2015.

The Cornyn-Murphy bill offers financial incentives for state and local governments to report information to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System. After many years, a Bill should emerge.

"I still think it's the best way forward to get something done and not end up empty-handed", Cornyn said after meeting with leaders of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Chairman Chuck Grassley and ranking Democratic member Dianne Feinstein.

"This is going to be an ongoing process and something that we don't expect to happen overnight, but something that we're going to continue to be engaged in", Sanders told reporters, noting Trump plans to meet next week with the video game industry. "We're going to make it more pertinent to what we're discussing". And they're pressing him to endorse legislation that would extend the pre-purchase checks at least to online and gun show sales.

"The U.S. Background Check Bill, or whatever", Trump said.

Pelosi says the public wants action to stem gun violence and "the president reads that very clearly". He even suggested a conversation on an assault weapons ban. The concealed carry provision, as Trump indicated, can not pass in the Senate and is the main reason the House and Senate haven't yet agreed on legislation improving background checks.

Last week, he directed his administration to regulate bump stocks, the gun accessory used to simulate automatic fire in the 2017 Las Vegas attack.

The proposal, led by Maine Republican Susan Collins and North Dakota Democrat Heidi Heitkamp, was rejected by the Senate in 2016.

Throughout the meeting, the president sought to play the conciliatory facilitator - the deal-signer if not the deal-maker - on one of the most divisive issues of past decades.

But even the "Fix NICS" bill faced resistance from some in the GOP ranks. When Murphy told Trump that he would have to bring the Republicans to the table, Trump said he thought "it's time that a president stepped up".

He also said he wants to ban bump stocks devices, which enable a rifle to shoot hundreds of rounds a minute. "But if I'm wrong, we can get something done".

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